By Andrew Jones
FOXSportsSouth.com
January 2, 2011
To some observers, asking if Tyrod Taylor is as good as or possibly even better than Michael Vick as a college quarterback would seem ludicrous. Vick's up and down NFL career, which recently has been on a significant upswing, can jade one's thinking.
But so can his performance in the national title game against Florida State in 2000. That night, Vick put on a show, one that will rightfully remain a significant part of Hokie lore forever. But was he as productive overall as Taylor, and was he a better passer?
Gauging the two simply by passing yards tells an interesting tale, but it isn't the only component in this query. Running productivity also matters, as do wins, and leadership. And quite frankly, when you peel away those layers, it's hard to say Vick > Taylor as a slam dunk. It's not even a fast-break layup or a tip in at the buzzer. It also requires an open mind.
This comparison has zero to do with pro potential and is solely based on collegiate performance, thus, a case can be made suggesting that Taylor has been a better quarterback in his last season at Virginia Tech than Vick was. Taylor has ascended so much that Hokies coach Frank Beamer, who not long ago swore by Vick the footballer, won't make any public distinctions.
"We've been fortunate to have some great quarterbacks at Virginia Tech," Beamer said. "And Tyrod's right there. I think the feelings you have over on the sideline is you feel like he's going to do the right thing with the ball, he's going to make good decisions, and this next play may be a big one. And that's a good feeling to have over there."
Taylor wasn't always so productive. In fact, while he was solid last season, it really wasn't until this season when the comparisons to Vick ceased being laughable. Taylor's inconsistency and inability to regularly move the chains with his arm simply never measured up until this fall, when he has statistically passed the left-handed Hokies legend.
Vick completed 54 percent of his pass attempts for 1,234 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions with a 127 pass efficiency rating during his final season at Tech. He also ran the ball 104 times for 617 yards while scoring eight times. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
Taylor, however, completed 60.6 percent of his pass attempts for 2,521 yards and a school-record 23 touchdowns. He was intercepted just four times and finished with a pass efficiency rating of 159, just five points below expected top NFL pick Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback whom Taylor will square off against in the Orange Bowl on Monday night.
The numbers are comparable as runners, too.
Vick ran the ball 104 times for 617 yards (5.9 average per attempt) and eight scores in 2000. Taylor ran 130 times for 637 yards (4.9 per attempt), which includes losing 186 yards on sacks, and five touchdowns this fall.
Taylor has worked hard to become a well-rounded quarterback, and believes he's there now.
"Early on in my career, maybe I was more of a runner," he said. "But as I got older, into my junior year, I proved I cab be the drop back passer that you need. If given the opportunity, I can show people that I can play quarterback."
Numbers don't lie, and Taylor's are just more impressive than Vick's. Taylor is also Tech's all-time leader in victories as a signal caller, and his leadership skills may have been the key component in Tech righting its ship to win 11 consecutive games after dropping the first two over a five-day stretch.
Taylor and some other teammates called for a players only meeting, and it was Taylor's presence and how he commanded himself that truly touched his teammates. He's been pretty much in charge ever since.
"Tyrod is a great leader," Hokies wide receiver Danny Coale said. "He's not a good leader, but he's a great one."
Vick was special, too. His place in Tech's history will always stand on its own in a unique manner. Two decades after sack artist Bruce Smith became a Hokie, Vick was putting the program on the national map to stay. Taylor, who grew up not far from Vick and always idolized him, is simply carrying the torch. But he might be holding it a bit higher.
"I've enjoyed a lot of great moments with Tyrod out there," Beamer said. "Won a lot of ball games; you talk about being the only team that has won 10 ballgames the last seven years, the last four Tyrod's been right there. He's meant a lot to Virginia Tech, there's no question about that."
But if he had to choose, who would it be?
"I feel the same way with him (Taylor) out there as I did when Michael Vick was out there," Beamer said.
Taylor owns school records for career total offense (8,969 yards), rushing yards by a quarterback (2,174) and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (23).
And on Monday, he might deliver Tech its second BCS victory and complete a 12-game turnaround that Beamer said will place this team in the same special place's as Vick's that played for the national title.
If anything, they should at least be considered equals.
Andrew Jones is in his 15th season covering the ACC.
